ELINOR: More or less. You see time is no object to God--these cycles which to us mean so much may be no more than a day to Him. I think you will admit we have let in a good deal of light in the last hundred years or so. JOHN: Well, yes. But just think, then, of the waste of time all the religions and conventions and superstitions have entailed in the past. It makes one giddy to realize it! Where would we be if we had always understood your basic principle? ELINOR: Nowhere. The evolution of the world has been perfectly necessary, my good John--you don’t ask children to play golf before they can walk. JOHN: No--but now I gather from your remarks that you would sweep away the incumbrances and restrictions of orthodox religions. ELINOR: Not at all! In a large family everyone cannot be grown up at the same time; the little ones have still to be thought of. JOHN: I think we are getting a bit out of our depths--had we not better get back to your muttons--in this case your idea of religion? ELINOR: But I have stated it plainly; it is simply to endeavor to keep the soul untarnished so as to return it to God--as a good butler keeps his employer’s silver under his charge highly polished, even though it is not all used every day. JOHN: Then what is the first step to this end? ELINOR: To think out the reason why of things, to try to see the truth in everything. JOHN: Good Lord! A fine task! Are you aware, my good woman, that this has been the modest ambition of several million of philosophers and theologians and metaphysicians before your day, and that none of them have altogether succeeded? If I did not mind being rude, I might say, “I like your cheek!” ELINOR: Oh, say what you please! Your words cannot alter my basic principle, which you will find very sound, if you care to apply to it the test of common sense. JOHN: You mean, to bring it to ordinary facts, that when I can get the better of a friend by a bit of sharp practice and make a pot of money without the risk of anyone’s finding me out, I am to refrain from doing so because of this soul business? I do call that hard! considering I go to church every Sunday, and subscribe to all the charities liberally--and to the football clubs. ELINOR: Yes, I mean that. JOHN: And when you are jealous of a woman you are not to set about a vile, false insinuation against her, even though it could never be traced to your door? ELINOR: Certainly not. JOHN: But, my poor child, that would produce a universal state of brotherly love. You had not suggested that before as one of your component parts of religion! ELINOR: John, when God made man I do believe He left out one colossal quality in him--the faculty of seeing the obvious. Women can see it sometimes, but men!--almost never! So I shall have to tell it to you in plain words. _God is love!_ HERE ENDS THE DIALOGUE